The 2026 China's 500 Most Valuable Brands list was released, with over 30 textile and apparel brands securing positions in the top five industries. The number of brands valued over 100 billion yuan expanded from six to eight, including Ordos, Hengli, Weiqiao, Bosideng, Jinba, Qipai, Anta, and Yueda. The entry threshold rose from 4.7 billion yuan last year to 5.089 billion yuan, while the total value of top brands reached 45.29 trillion yuan, a 7.76% year-on-year increase. These figures signal a collective value leap for an industry long labeled as 'OEM'.
The list covers the entire textile chain, from raw material manufacturing (Hengli, Rongsheng Petrochemical) to apparel production (HLA, Peacebird), sportswear (Anta, Li-Ning, Xtep), and home textiles (Shuixing, Mengjie). This indicates that branding is no longer exclusive to downstream apparel companies; upstream fiber and fabric companies are also using brand assets to build moats.
A notable detail is that the World Brand Lab incorporated AI influence index into its evaluation for the first time. Professor Xu Jing from Peking University noted that in the digital era, a brand is not just a knowledge structure in consumers' minds but a complex system maintained by consumers, platforms, algorithms, content, communities, and organizational capabilities. For the textile industry, this means the brand value of a shirt or a piece of fabric depends not only on its quality or design but also on its visibility in AI search and recommendation ecosystems.
Ding Haisen, CEO of the World Manager Group, emphasized that future brand competition will not only occupy consumers' mental ladders but also leave indelible marks in AI algorithm maps. In a future dominated by AI agents and answer engine optimization, consumer decision-making paths are shortened, and AI becomes the de facto gatekeeper of traffic.
For the textile industry, this has direct operational implications. Traditionally, textile brands relied on offline trade shows, wholesale markets, and dealer networks. But in the AI era, when a procurement manager searches for 'flame-retardant fabric' or 'recycled polyester', AI recommendations will directly determine whether a brand enters the shortlist. Brands with higher content density and positive accumulation on social media, e-commerce platforms, and industry databases will gain algorithmic priority.
Among the eight brands valued over 100 billion yuan, Ordos represents the high-end cashmere path; Hengli and Weiqiao represent scale and technological upgrades in chemical fibers and cotton spinning; Bosideng and Jinba represent category innovation in traditional brands; Anta and Yueda represent expansion in sports and functional tracks. Their common feature is a departure from pure price competition toward innovation, culture, green development, and global operations.
For example, Hengli's brand value growth is directly linked to its capacity and technological breakthroughs in PTA and polyester filament. Weiqiao upgraded traditional cotton spinning into digital factories through intelligent transformation across the textile chain. Bosideng broke seasonal and geographical limits through functional innovation and international design in down jackets. These cases show that brand value growth must be built on industrial hard power.
The concentration of brand value is reshaping power structures in the textile supply chain. Top brands, with higher premium capabilities and channel control, impose stricter requirements on upstream suppliers regarding quality, delivery, and environmental standards. Meanwhile, brands' investment in AI ecosystems also forces factories and traders to enhance digital capabilities.